Collapsible bass fiddle



March 8, 1949.

Filed Nov. 15, 1945 P. RUGGIERO COLLAPSIBLE BASS FIDDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Peter Ruggiero ATTORN EYS Klan.

March 8, 1949. P. RUGGIERO COLLAPSIBLE BASS FIDDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15, 1945 INVENTOR Peter A BY LLELEIO ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES .eATsNT OFFICE- COLLAPSIBLE BASS FIDDLE Peter Ruggiero, Newark, N. J.

Application November 15, 1945, Serial No. 628,752

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to stringed musical instruments and more particularly to collapsible bass fiddles, Violas, cellos and the like.

One object of the invention is the provision of a stringed instrument of the character referred to, which may be coliapsed for transportation or storage with the minimum amount of effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide an instrument of this nature which comprises a longitudinally split body thus dividing same into right and left hand sound box portions held together at the front and rear by means of tapered slides co-acting with tapered or wedge shaped cleats secured to the front and rear Walls of the respective sound box portions.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the said collapsible instrument that the quality of the musical sounds Will not be impaired.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a stringed musical instrument wherein the combined scroll and string board is removably maintained between the respective sound box sections.

Yet another object is to provide such a musical instrument wherein the peg or tuning post box extends rearwardly of the neck of the instrument so as to occupy less longitudinal space for convenience in transportation etc.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the nature of the improvements is better understood, the invention consisting substantially in the novel arrangement and co-relation of parts herein fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, and then finally pointed out and specifically defined and indicated in the appended claims.

The disclosure made the basis of exemplifying the present inventive concept suggests a practical embodiment thereof, but the invention is not to be restricted to the exact details of this disclosure, and the latter, therefore, is to be understood from an illustrative, rather than a restrictive standpoint.

In carrying out the present inventive concept, it was found advantageous to provide a right and a left sound box portion between which the string carrying device is positioned, all of the said elements being collapsibly held or tied together by means of preferably three Wedge-shaped or tapered slides which engage the sides of simiiarly shaped cleats carried by the front and rear walls of the sound box sections. The string board carrying device is provided with a rearwardly projecting tuning post box to reduce the vertical height of the instrument.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a bass fiddle embodying the improvements of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing one of the slides being removed from looking position;

Figure 4 is a perspective View showing one sound box section removed and the manner of positioning the string carrying device;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the string carrying device disassembled from the frame or sound box portions and Figure 6 is a side view showing the manner of arranging the disassembled portions of the instrument ready for casing for transportation or storage and Figure 7 is a fragmental perspective View looking from the bottom of the bass fiddle, showing J. a modified form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail l0 indicates a bass fiddle or similar stringed instrument embodying the present invention. The said instrument comprises a body which is divided along a vertical med an plane ll into a right hand sound box section I2 and a left hand section l3. The front walls M and I5 of the respective sound box sections are each provided with a cleat, the one on the right section bearing the reference numeral l6 and the one on the left the numeral l1. The outer side edge of each of the said cleats tapers downwardly so that the combined cleats form a wedge for the reception of a wedge-shaped slide l8 to tie the two sound box sections together.

The respective rear walls or plates l9 and 20 are each provided with upper and lower cleat sections 2% for the reception of tapered or wedgeshaped slides 22 for tying the respective sound T box sections together at the rear.

interposed between the front walls l4 and I5 of the respective sound box sections is the string carrying mechanism or device 25 which comprises the string plate 26 a bridge carrying plate 21 both of which are carried by a central support 28 which at its upper end carries the neck or scroll 29 and at the bottom the string anchoring block 39. The front walls or plates l4 and I5 of the sound box sections are cut out along irregular lines SI and 32 to accommodate the said bridge carrying plate 2'! and string anchoring block 38, both of which partly extend into the interior of the sound box sections.

In order to reduce the overall height of the instrument, the tuning post box 33 extends rearwardly of the neck or scroll 29 at an angle of approximately 90 degrees.

In practice the instrument may be disassembled or knocked down by removing the slides 18 and 22, after which the sound box sections l2 and I3 may be telescopically arranged one within the other and the string placed into the uppermost of said sections as shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 7, there is shown a modified form of the bass fiddle, wherein in addition to the front and rear slides, the base sections 3d and oi the instrument are each provided with a tapering wedge section 36. The said base sections are spaced apart from each other to form a space or mouth opening 31 through which the supporting peg38 normally passes into the interior cf'theinstrument. The wedge sections 35 arepreferably positioned at opposite edges of the said-mouth opening and form sdideways for slide 39 which actsto hold the two halves of the instrumentitegether at the bottom.

To disassemble the wedge 39 from the instrument, the screw Mlis loosened and the peg withdrawn from the interior of theinstrument, the slide 39-maythen he slid to the left in said Fig. '7.

To reassemble the slide 39 is first slid into place and the peg is inserted. and then-tightened inplace by the screw 43.

From the foregoing it will be seen that with the improvements embodied in the present invention, a readily collapsible stringed instrument is provided which when so collapsed may be made to occupy not more than fifty percentof the space occupied when in assembled position.

Furthermore it will be seen that a substantial reduction in total length is obtained by bending rearwardly or extending the tuning post box, all of the aforesaid advantages being accomplished without loss or impairment of the tone qualities of the instrument.

The described musical instrument may be made of any suitable material such as plastics, wood or the like.

What is claimed is:

1. In a collapsible stringed musical instrument of the class described, right and left sound box sections in abutment along -.a vertical median plane, each of the said sound box sections comprising a front wall and a rear wall, a wedge-like cleat on each of the front wall sections in abutting relation to each other along said median plane, the outer sides of said cleat being tapered, a corresponding tapered slide removably maintained between the said front walls above the said cleats, and at least a pair of abutting tapering; cleats, one on each of the rear walls and a wedgelike slide removably maintained on said cleats as and. for the purpose specified.

2. In a collapsiblestringed musical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the sound box sections are cut out at the bottom to form a transverse mouth opening a tapered cleat at each transverse edge of the mouth opening, and a cor-- respondingly shaped slide removably maintained on said cleats.

PETER R-UGGIERO.

REFERENCES CITED Name Date Welch Jan. 1929 Number 

